Let's make a wall. DIY plasterboard wall installation. For finishing the wall

Zoning, separating too large spaces or adding practicality to small rooms with the help of partitions is an ideal solution available to the owner of any home. Before you make a room partition with your own hands, learn about the pros and cons of different materials and methods of installing products.

It’s easy to make a partition in any type of room with your own hands. And they come in different types of structures:

Stationary partitions are made by hand from plasterboard, concrete and brick. They are heavy and not suitable for all rooms. Sliding structures and “accordions” take up little space, allow you to divide the room into 2 zones during the day, and create a spacious bedroom at night. Each type has its own pros and cons.

Types of materials for partitions

When thinking about what to make an interior partition with your own hands, pay attention to the pros and cons of different materials. The most expensive, complex and heavy options are not always convenient and appropriate for use. Perhaps their relevance will be low for the project.

Brick systems

Brick structures are made from hollow blocks; a partition is laid out in half of the part. The choice is due to the low weight of the material, which is especially important when laying walls in a multi-story building. Advantages of brick:

A brick wall will require some experience and knowledge from the worker, as well as more time than when building plasterboard fences with your own hands.

The disadvantage of the manufactured partition is its weight. It reaches 280 kg when laying half a brick per 1 square meter. m.

Before decorative finishing, brick requires a layer of plaster.

Foam concrete

To create partitions with your own hands, foam concrete blocks are used. The porous structure is responsible for certain qualities of the material, the main one being its incredible lightness in comparison with reinforced concrete. When laying, use gypsum glue or concrete mortar.

Design advantages:

Among the disadvantages is the still significant weight - 18 kg for one block. The material absorbs moisture and is not suitable for installation near wet areas.

Gypsum blocks

Gypsum boards have additional elements in the form of ridges that simplify installation. For installation, use gypsum glue. Two types of slabs are used: with a maximum length of 600 and 500 mm. The process takes 5 times less time than with brickwork.

Among the advantages of GPP:

The main disadvantage of the slabs is the difficulty of operation due to their size. It is impossible to raise them to a height alone.
Foam blocks can withstand hanging structures of a maximum of 30 kg.

Drywall

Drywall is a lightweight and reliable material that is most often installed on a galvanized metal frame. It can be combined with sound-insulating and heat-insulating parts: mineral wool, expanded polystyrene.

Plasterboard partitions are used most often, as they have significant advantages.

Drywall is available in 4 versions, each of which is intended for different rooms. There are moisture-resistant materials painted green; they are suitable for constructing structures in the bathroom.

With the help of drywall, the base of which is wood, a good microclimate is created in the room. The material is able to remove excess moisture from the air, while it does not swell or dry out.

Drywall protects against extraneous noise and heat loss. Certain types of sheets have increased fire resistance. They are even used next to a heated stove or fireplace.

The lightness of the design allows it to be used in any room, including apartments in multi-storey buildings. It is much easier to process gypsum boards than foam blocks or bricks. It is enough to use a construction knife or improvised cutting tools.

The benefits of drywall will come to naught if you install structures that are not intended for specific locations.

Only the correctly selected type of material is installed in rooms with high humidity; ordinary sheets will lose their properties within 5-10 years.

Fragility is another disadvantage of gypsum plasterboard, since the sheets are susceptible to damage as a result of impacts or the fall of a heavy object (for example, when carrying a cabinet, a cabinet was dropped, a sharp edge stuck into the wall).

You cannot hang shelves or other pieces of furniture heavier than 12 kg on plasterboard partitions made by yourself.

If you need to nail hooks for clothes or brackets for decorative items, then choose a place in a metal or wooden profile.

Glass blocks

Glass blocks are produced in square shapes, sometimes rectangular. They are made of glass up to 7 mm thick, connected to each other, and inside there is a sealed cavity. Small double-glazed windows with air sealed inside provide good protection from noise and prevent heat loss. However, the popularity of structures is not as wide as that of drywall, foam blocks, wood or brick.

Glass blocks are used in modern designs where large structures are appropriate. They combine decorative and functional components. Unlike thin glass partitions, the blocks look completely different. Their positive properties:

Despite all the advantages, glass blocks retain one drawback - they are extremely sensitive to any mechanical stress. It will not be possible to install a door in such a structure. You cannot install additional parts on such products: shelves, hooks.

How to make a room partition with your own hands

To make a partition in a room, you do not need to obtain permission from the inspectorate. The structure does not belong to the load-bearing class. Stationary and other types of products are used in almost 100% of cases of apartment redevelopment.

How to make a partition in a room from plasterboard

Work on constructing a plasterboard structure with your own hands begins with determining the type of profile. Choose wooden beams or metal. The second method is considered more reliable and stable. For construction you will need: fasteners, a plumb line, a set of tools, a level.

Description of stages:

1. Marking the installation site of the structure. First, according to the markings on the ceiling, a metal base is installed - a guide. The type of fastener corresponding to the material is used. If the ceiling is concrete, then dowels with screws are used. The fastening pitch is from 15 to 17 cm.
2. Improving the quality of fit of the profile to the wall. Regardless of which frame is used for the plasterboard partition, it is sheathed with double-sided adhesive sealing tape.
   
   
3. Fastening the guides to the floor. Before installation, double-sided tape with a sealant is applied to the metal, then the profile is secured to the floor.
4. Attaching vertical guides. The upper and lower profiles are connected by installing vertical slats. The guides are attached to the wall or hangers are used (they help align the profile if the wall is not straight enough).
5. Installation of a doorway. The best option for structures with a door is to use a metal profile. The racks are installed, reinforced with a wooden beam, and the profile is fixed in the lower and upper guides using self-tapping screws.
   
   
6. Installation of the transverse profile of the opening. A horizontal bar is attached to the guides that determine the width of the door opening. It limits the height of the opening. To increase the rigidity of the structure, the bar is secured with additional metal profiles.
7. Installation of remaining elements. In the remaining space, vertical guides are installed in increments of 60 cm.
8. Attaching an additional profile. If sheets of cladding material are used that are smaller than the height of the ceiling, then transverse metal sections are installed at the points of their connection with the profile. Their ends are bent at right angles.
   
   
9. Covering the first side. One of the sides is filled with mineral slabs; the sheets must fit tightly to each other. For fixation, use black self-tapping screws; the caps are deepened by a maximum of 2 mm.
10. Installation of sound insulation. On the reverse side, sound insulation must be installed in any room, otherwise plasterboard partitions lose their advantages. The material is placed tightly between the vertical elements, and the final layer of drywall is applied on top.
11. Door frame installation. The base for the door is screwed to the vertical guides. You need to screw it in from the side of the door frame towards the profile. The screw caps are deepened by 2 mm.

    
    

12. Sealing seams. Use gypsum putty and cover all screw heads well.
13. Installation of fiberglass mesh. A mesh is installed at the joints of the canvases, which is slightly recessed into the layer of putty.
14. Applying primer. After the putty has dried, the surface is cleaned, a primer is applied to the drywall, and the putty is used again to create a smooth coating.
    
    

To divide a space, for example, a dining area and a dining room, it is not necessary to use a door.

How to make a partition from foam-gas concrete slabs

To create interior floors, foam aerated concrete blocks up to 10 cm thick are used.

Here's how to make a partition in a room from foam aerated concrete:

To fasten the masonry, it is recommended to use cement mortar or a special mixture for foam blocks. Gypsum plaster is sometimes used, but this is not the best choice.

How to make a wooden partition

Creating a wooden interior partition is much easier than building a brick wall. Most often, wood is used to create decorative partitions with your own hands, and it is suitable for any room. However, heavier structures made of beams are also used.

Here's how to make a reinforced partition with your own hands:

You can make a decorative carved wooden partition with your own hands. In this case, the creation of a reinforced frame is not required. The canvas is directly attached to the floor and ceiling, sometimes to a load-bearing wall.

Partition installation

Installation of a partition in a room must meet certain requirements:

Weigh the pros and cons, remember the safety of the partition: it is better to install heavy brick structures in private houses. If you are unsure about safety, consult a professional about choosing the appropriate option for installing a room divider.

How to properly make a partition in a room with your own hands video

The best way to understand how to make a beautiful and reliable partition with your own hands is to watch a video from a professional.

Anton Tsugunov

Reading time: 7 minutes

When remodeling an apartment or private house, the need arises to create additional partitions that divide the room into separate zones or rooms as planned by the designer. Previously, such structures were built from brick or wood, but recently they prefer plasterboard. This affordable material has a lot of advantages, and even a novice craftsman with minimal construction skills can make a partition from plasterboard.

Advantages of using drywall when creating partitions

What are the advantages of using gypsum plasterboard when constructing additional walls indoors?

• The structure made from it is much lighter than from brick or concrete, which allows minimizing the load on the floors. This is quite relevant for premises in apartment buildings.
• In the cavities of the plasterboard partition, you can additionally place a layer of sound insulation or insulation, as well as extend electrical wiring. Unlike stone walls, this can be done without the dusty and labor-intensive chipping operation.

Drywall itself has good soundproofing properties, so even without additional materials, such a wall will prevent the spread of sound.

• GKL is environmentally friendly and fireproof.
• The resulting plane, after minimal processing, is ready for further finishing. The sheets form a smooth surface that can be painted, wallpapered, covered with decorative plaster or even ceramic tiles.
• Easy to assemble. Almost anyone can install a plasterboard partition with their own hands, following simple step-by-step instructions. It does not require specialized skills or expensive professional tools.
• Drywall allows you to easily realize various design ideas: you can design a partition in the form of an arch, make a niche for a TV or other household appliances, build built-in shelves and much more.

Of course, there are also disadvantages. The main thing is the relative fragility of drywall: such an interior partition is much easier to damage than, for example, a brick one. In addition, even moisture-resistant plasterboard does not tolerate prolonged exposure to conditions of excess humidity.

Before assembling the structure from plasterboard, you will have to decide on the location of all the interior parts on the future wall: their attachment points need to be strengthened at the stage of assembling the frame.

Necessary materials

First of all, you will need the drywall itself. The partition, of course, is not a load-bearing wall, but must have a certain strength. Therefore, sheets are taken with a thickness of at least 12.5 mm. Moisture-resistant and fire-resistant varieties of this material are used only when necessary.

A galvanized metal profile is ideal for forming the frame. Most partitions will require two types:

• rack-mounted;
• guide

The guides have a standard length of 3 m. The size of the required rack profiles is selected based on the height of the room where the partition is being erected.

Horizontal lintels, which give rigidity to the structure and form doorways, are also made from a rack profile. Therefore, the exact amount of this material is calculated only after drawing up a detailed diagram of the frame, taking into account the required supply.

In addition to the plasterboard and profile, for work you will need:

• Dowel-nails for attaching guides to the walls, ceiling and floor of the room. In a wooden room they are replaced with wood screws.
• to improve sound insulation. It is glued to the back side of metal profiles and prevents the transmission of sound vibrations from the main walls to the frame.
• Beam for strengthening the doorway. In size, it should fit tightly inside the rack profile - this will facilitate its installation.

Professionals advise fastening profiles together using. But this tool is still not widely used, so small metal screws, popularly called “fleas” or “bugs,” are more often used.

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If you plan to fill the voids in the partition with insulation or sound insulation, then these are also purchased.

Tools

The list of required tools includes:

• A hammer drill with the required drill bit. The most popular dowels are 6 mm in diameter.
• Metal scissors.
• Screwdriver with a set of bits.

It is impossible to correctly build a partition without creating a drawing. It will be required already at the stage of purchasing material. Yes, and it is impossible to mentally calculate all the subtleties of placing profiles and fastening gypsum boards. The drawing will help you use the material more rationally and avoid unwanted losses.

The dimensions of the future partition are determined as follows:

• The required size of the separated room or section of the room is laid out on each wall. This is done twice: at floor and ceiling level.
• The resulting lines are connected vertically, their location is controlled by a plumb line.

This algorithm is needed due to the fact that in apartments the floors are rarely even and located at right angles.

• The verticals on the walls are connected by lines on the ceiling and floor surface, resulting in the outline of the future wall.

The drawing is transferred to paper, the location of the rack profiles and partitions, as well as the doorway, is outlined. The following rules are observed:

• Vertical posts are located in increments of 400 or 600 mm. This will allow you to avoid unnecessary cutting of plasterboard sheets: they will be joined on the profiles.

To impart rigidity to the structure, the sheets on both sides must be connected on different racks. For example, on the front - on odd profiles, on the back - on even profiles.

• The space above the door is further strengthened by at least a pair of guides.
• At the same stage, the mounting locations for all additional accessories, such as a TV, are determined. These areas are also strengthening.
• The number of required horizontal jumpers is calculated. GCRs are joined to them if the partition is longer than their length. But even when the sheet completely covers the opening in height, it is recommended to fasten a couple of horizontal profiles to provide rigidity.

Note! In such a design, there should be no jumpers, wires or any other communications or obstacles along the direction of movement of the door leaves.

The next photo shows a simpler solution. A standard wall with an opening is made, and the sliding door is located outside, on one side.

The frame for the partition with niches shown in the next photo has a more complex design. Self-production of niches is described in detail in.

Based on the drawing, the required amount of material is calculated. After purchasing it, you can begin installing the frame.

At the first stage, we construct a frame from guide profiles:

• Using metal scissors, we adjust the elements to length.
• Usually they already have holes placed at the required pitch. If there are none, then we need to drill holes for fasteners every 50–60 mm.
• We glue a sealing damper tape to the back side of the profile.
• We place the profiles in place and mark the holes for the dowels. You need to make sure that all the guides are on the same side of the marking line.

• Using a hammer drill, we form holes and drive in plastic dowels. Then we fasten the profiles by hammering in the dowel-nails with careful blows of a hammer.

In the case of wooden walls and ceilings, the procedure is simplified: dowel-nails are replaced with wood screws with a wide head.

Attaching racks and horizontal jumpers is easy:

• We cut the vertical elements so that they are 8–10 mm less than the height of the room.
• After installation in the guides, we fasten them using small screws or a cutter.

Using a cutter has an important advantage: the joint is completely smooth. The caps of the screws will prevent the drywall sheets from fitting tightly to the frame.

• We control the vertical installation of each guide using a level.

HELPFUL INFORMATION: How to properly putty drywall seams: putty and tape for puttying joints (video)

The modern choice of finishing materials allows you to carry out repairs of any complexity in your own apartment or house without any problems. The main thing is that you have the necessary set of tools and detailed instructions.

Delineating space in a room has long ceased to be a problem, since you can easily make a simple plasterboard partition with your own hands. Drywall is a fairly affordable and easy to process material. It has a lot of advantages and virtually no disadvantages.

1. Light weight.
2. Low price.
3. Ease of processing.
4. Good sound insulation.
5. No “wet” or dirty work during installation.
6. Variability of finishing of the outer layer.
7. A frame that allows the laying of any communications.

Plasterboard structures of any configuration are usually mounted on a metal profile. It is not advisable to use a wooden frame structure: wood rots and deforms over time, working with it requires additional effort and the presence of special tools. And the cost of wooden bars is no lower than a metal profile.

Other required materials

1. Sealing tape.
2. Reinforcing tape for fastening seams.
3. Self-tapping screws for metal.
4. Self-tapping screws with press washer.
5. Dowel nails.
6. Putty for sealing seams between sheets of drywall.
7. Acrylic based primer.
8. Plasterboard sheets 12-14 mm thick.

What types of profiles are there for drywall?

Conventional and familiar ceiling profiles for siding cannot be used for installing plasterboard structures. They are too fragile and unreliable. For drywall, special fittings are used: reinforced guides and rack-mount metal profiles. Guide hardware is used to attach drywall to the ceiling or walls. There are 4 markings for guide profiles, depending on the thickness of the material. The thinnest are 50 by 40 mm, the widest are 100 by 40 mm. The length for all sizes is the same - 3 meters.

Rack fittings are also divided into 4 types: from 50 by 50 mm to 100 by 50 mm. As can be seen from the markings, the widest profile is the strongest and most reliable. The length of the rack profile varies from 3 to 4 meters. The rack profile from which the vertical frame of the plasterboard partition is formed is not recommended to be increased in length, otherwise the structure will not have sufficient strength.

Tools required to build a plasterboard partition

After all the necessary tools and materials have been purchased, you should carefully consider the future design of the partition and its location in the room.

Exactly the same marks are made on the second wall. They must match. You can check the accuracy of the markings as follows: you need to draw a straight line along the floor from one mark on the wall to the second. If the lines coincide, then the markings are applied correctly. Along these lines the plasterboard partition will be attached to the wall and to the floor.

Marks on the ceiling are measured in the same way. It is important that the line on the floor is strictly perpendicular to the markings on the ceiling. In this case, the future partition will not tilt or skew in any direction.

Once the markings have been applied, you can begin installing the profile on the walls, floor and ceiling. The guide fittings are screwed onto the ceiling. A rack profile is attached to the walls and floor.

A sealing rubberized tape is placed between the wall and the profile. This material is intended for tight coupling of load-bearing wall structures with the partition. The sealing tape also plays the role of a buffer when the temperature and humidity climate in the room changes, due to which the plasterboard structure may shrink or expand slightly. The tape will protect it from cracks and deformation.

To get into a room fenced off by a partition, you need a passage under which profiles are specially mounted. If you plan to insert a door into the partition structure, then the doorway needs to be strengthened. This can be done in several ways.

1. Insert the rack profiles into each other and fasten them together.
2. Insert a wooden beam inside the profile.
3. Reinforce the profile with a steel frame.
4. Place two rack profiles side by side.

According to experts, the first method is the most optimal, but only if the proposed door is made of lightweight materials and the estimated weight does not exceed 45 kg. For heavier door leaves, it is recommended to purchase a special reinforced rack profile, the thickness of which exceeds 2 mm.

You need to leave the required width (leaf size) under the doorway and add another 8 cm to the existing size for the door frame.

After the door profile is positioned, the top lintel is positioned and fastened between them.

The next step is to reinforce the structure with reinforced rack profiles. From the mounted doorway, a vertical sheathing is made from fittings, from floor to ceiling, step - 40-50 cm. After completion of the work, a kind of cage is obtained, with a vertically attached profile.

It is important to know

Mounting rack profiles is required in a certain order: The stiffener should be directed in the direction from which the frame will begin to be covered with plasterboard. This is due to the fact that the first sheets of drywall need to be attached from the edge side, the subsequent ones - to the remaining part of the rack profile. If you do not follow the recommended technology for covering the frame, the partition will turn out to be convex or deformed.

If you plan to lay communications (electrical wires, computer and television cables), It is desirable that the holes for the wires are at the same level.

If you plan to hang a picture or a lamp on the partition, then you need to install a crossbar from the profile in advance into the metal frame. The location of the jumper must be marked in order to later attach the accessory to the profile using self-tapping screws.

The width of the partition can be varied. The thinnest partition consists of a single frame. If a stronger and more reliable structure is required, the profile can be mounted in several layers. Thanks to this, it is possible to improve the soundproofing and heat-saving performance of the partition.

Cladding the erected profile frame with plasterboard

Rules for cutting sheet material

When attaching the material to a metal profile, the sheet should be less than the height of the walls and spaced 1 cm from the floor. When cutting the facing material, make sure that the cardboard and gypsum core are cut with a special knife for cutting plasterboard. This will protect the material from cracking and breaking during cutting into the required size fragments.

It is advisable to process the edges with a roughing plane, then using an edge plane, a chamfer having an angle of 20-22 degrees is cut out at the ends.

It is worth knowing that sheets can only be joined on a metal profile, so when cutting drywall, you should take into account the spacing between the rack fittings.

The sheets obtained after cutting are attached to the metal profile using self-tapping screws, at least 3 cm long. Screws must be screwed to the profile after 15-20 cm; at jumpers and joints of sheets, this distance can be reduced to 10 cm. Also, screws cannot be attached near the very edge of the sheet , optimally - 15 mm from the edge.

When attaching the facing material, you do not need to embed the screw heads into the drywall too much, maximum 1 mm. The sunken caps can be puttyed later.

After one side of the partition is lined with plasterboard, you can begin installing soundproofing material and laying communications inside the structure.

Communication wires are routed through special holes in the metal profile.

For sound insulation, you can use mineral wool, polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, and isover. Each type of material has a whole set of useful properties, for example, polystyrene foam can be used in rooms with high humidity.

To soundproof a partition, the material is cut into fragments and placed inside sections of the profile. It is important to choose a material of a certain thickness that will not stick out due to the edges of the metal profile. After placing the soundproofing material, you can begin lining the second side of the partition.

After erecting a structure made of gypsum board, it is necessary to give it a presentable appearance. To do this, a layer of primer is applied to the surface of the material, which will protect the wall from moisture and corrosion.

After priming, the drywall is puttied, smoothing out all the unevenness, hiding the fastener heads and seams. Putty is applied to the seams between the sheets, leveled, then, until it dries, a reinforcing tape is attached to the top of the putty and pressed down using a spatula.

Video - Installation of a large partition in a private house

It is worth knowing that if a plasterboard partition is to be covered with wallpaper, then its surface must be completely puttied. This is due to the fact that seams can show through thin wallpaper and spoil the entire appearance of the structure. There is another reason: the surface of the material is made of cardboard. If you stick wallpaper on cardboard, then after a while it will be impossible to remove it. You'll have to put new wallpaper on top of the old ones.

Facade putty cannot be used for interior work. This material may release toxic substances and be harmful to health.

To erect partitions in places with unstable humidity and temperature conditions, it is recommended to use special sheets of plasterboard. They are painted green and have good moisture resistance. You can lay tiles on this material.

Video - Installation of a partition made of plasterboard from KNAUF

Making a plasterboard wall with your own hands is simple; even an amateur can easily do it. Often, when remodeling an apartment or buying a new home, it becomes necessary to change the designs of plasterboard walls or build new partitions. Not so long ago, such a structure could only be built from wood or brick. Now these expensive materials have been replaced by drywall, which is easy to install, inexpensive and sold in all hardware stores.

Decoration and design of the TV wall

Design and decoration of plasterboard walls

Of course, the material has disadvantages, one of them is the fragility of the material, for example, in order to, it is necessary to determine at the construction stage where the hanging objects will be placed and install a mortgage.

Scheme for installing heavy objects on drywall But by following the instructions, you can make any built-in structure in the form of a wall bars or.
The second disadvantage is intolerance to long contact with water; drywall can become wet and deformed.

Wall construction preparatory stage

Before you build a decorative plasterboard wall, you need to make some preparations.

Option for the design and design of a wall for a TV

Preparing the material

From the material we will need:

After assembling the plasterboard wall, the surface needs to be finished, so you will need:

An example of finishing a plasterboard wall

Tools

The tools we need are available in almost every home:

At this point, the preparation of the tool and material is completed, you can proceed to the next stage.

Frame diagram

It is impossible to complete the work of assembling the frame without a drawing.

The drawing must be completed before the material is purchased, since thanks to it it can be calculated very accurately. The designs of plasterboard walls in the bedroom are different and you can create your own unusual project.

To create a drawing you do not need to be an artist; it is enough to schematically draw the main elements of the structure.

Scheme of the structure of a plasterboard wall frame
Determine where they will be, if they are supposed to be installed in the wall. Determine which distance from each other. If reinforcement of the structure is required, the profiles will be spaced in increments of 40 cm.

An example of a plasterboard wall design in a bedroom








As soon as the drawing is ready, we transfer the markings to the surface, this should be done as follows:

From the author: We welcome you, dear reader of our repair and construction portal. Since you came to this particular page of the site, then most likely you are planning to remodel your apartment or maybe you want to divide the room into several parts.

Or maybe you have a need to build an arch or erect a wall from gypsum plasterboard (plasterboard sheets). It is also possible that you need to create separate rooms in a new building that you were recently lucky enough to move into. One way or another, you are looking for an answer to the question of how to make a plasterboard wall. Well. This is where you will get it.

Why drywall?

Before we figure out how to do it ourselves, I propose to consider one important issue. Very briefly. Why exactly gypsum board? Why is he so good? I have heard the opinion that this material is not the best for building a wall. Basically, this position is held by people of the “old school,” so to speak, who perceive plasterboard sheets as a purely finishing material.

But this is not entirely true. Yes, gypsum board is also used for finishing, but it is also very suitable as a material for building walls. Moreover, in many cases this is the only correct solution. So, why should you choose gypsum board? Now we will briefly name the main characteristics of this material so that you can cast aside all doubts:

• strength/durability. Walls built from gypsum plasterboard are no worse than those made from brickwork. Then you won’t swing a sledgehammer in your house or throw weights at the wall, right?
• unlimited scope for creativity. You can create absolutely anything from this material: you can design openings of various sizes, ledges and niches, and recreate other structurally expressed elements;
• health safety. The material is environmentally friendly and does not cause allergic reactions in the body;
• versatility/practicality. Plasterboard walls can be erected anywhere - in any part of the apartment or house, even in rooms with high humidity. For this, there is a special moisture-resistant drywall, which you can buy at a regular hardware store;
• availability. GCR is not an expensive building material and has become an integral part of almost any repair;
• ease of installation work. Yes, you will have to try, but if you know the sequence of actions and have the necessary tools, then even a person who has no experience in repairs can handle the job.

I think we have made a fairly compelling case in favor of plasterboard sheets. In a word, gypsum board is an excellent material for zoning the space of a residential (and any other) premises.

What you need for work

In this section of our article we will find out what else, besides the plasterboard, we will need to complete the work. First of all, we need to build a frame from profiles, which will serve as the “skeleton” of our wall or pier.

As a rule, two types of profiles are used to build a wall:

• D - small profile. It is needed in order to form a plane on which it will subsequently be located;
• W - large profile. With its help, a frame is built.

In addition, for each of the main types presented there are:

• C - support profile;
• U - guide profile. In essence, this is a variation of the U-shaped profile.

As a result, we get the following combinations:

• CD - 60x27mm - this is the main element of the “skeleton”;
• UD - 28×27mm - CD guide;
• CW - 50×50/50×75/50×100mm - rack profile, the purpose of which is to form a frame;
• UW - 50×40/75×40/100×40mm - guide for CW;
• UA - 50x50/50x75/50x100mm - essentially the same CW, only additionally reinforced and more durable.

To build a wall up to 10 cm, only CW and UW should be used. If the wall needs to be more “serious”, if it is planned to lay communications into it, then you should resort to using CD and UD. On each side of the wall, two guides should be mounted, running parallel at the distance from each other that you previously outlined.

To secure the profile to the frame, we will need a special hanger with a universal connector. Popularly, such a connector is called a “crab”. But sometimes you can do without it.

To fasten the frame elements, flea screws should be used. We will also need metal screws (3.5x35 mm, equipped with a countersunk head) to attach the gypsum board to the installed frame. We will also need dowels (with self-tapping screws, of course) to secure our frame to the existing wall.

Now about the plasterboard sheets themselves. Sheets should be chosen with a thickness of 12.5 mm, and pay attention that there must be a wide chamfer on the sides. Let us remind you once again that if you are planning installation in rooms with special operating conditions (in the bathroom, in the kitchen), then be sure (!) to choose moisture-resistant plasterboard. You can distinguish it from the usual one simply: its top coating is green, while ordinary gypsum board is covered with gray cardboard.

So, let's roughly draw a line under everything that we said above in this section. We will need:

• actually, gypsum board;
• profiles CD/UA and UD or only CW and UW, if the thickness of the wall being erected does not exceed 10 cm;
• AU profile, which, however, can be replaced with wooden beams;
• fastenings (dowels/screws);
• sealing tape;
• metal corner;
• mineral wool to fill empty space.

Here we have listed the materials necessary for the work. Now here is a list of tools:

• building level;
• roulette;
• rope;
• plumb line;
• fishing line;
• rule;
• screwdriver/reverse drill;
• scissors for cutting metal;
• perforator;
• a plane for gypsum plasterboard (you will need it when you need to make a chamfer);
• durable knife with replaceable blades for cutting cardboard.

We have decided on building materials and tools. Now we should say something about what the floor and main wall should be like before starting installation work.

In short, the floor and wall should, perhaps, be without finishing. And so, they should already be ready. That is, the floor must be leveled using screed, OSB or another method, only without floor covering. The walls should already be plastered, but without wallpaper.

Now that we have the necessary knowledge, tools and building materials, we move on to considering the installation process.

Frame installation process

First, let's look at one common example: installing a “skeleton” wall from UW and CW profiles. The first thing to do is mark the wall on the floor. When marking, you should focus not on one wall, but on two, running parallel. The indicators should be averaged. This way you will have a chance to avoid critical curvature.

If you plan to screw drywall to all the walls, that is, to perform leveling using gypsum boards, then you should first achieve right angles after completing the sheathing of the main walls, and then start building the wall.

When you mark the first line, according to which our wall will be located, you should take into account that it will be the guide profile that will be aligned along it, and not the wall as such. Therefore, the thickness of the plasterboard sheet and all the finishing that will subsequently be applied to it should be added to the mark.

Only after you have marked a line on the floor can it be transferred to the walls/ceiling. A laser level will be very helpful in this matter. If you do not have this device in your “arsenal,” you can rent it at a hardware store that offers a tool rental service. Well, or borrow from a friend-comrade.

Now let's move on to installing the profiles. Keep in mind that those profiles that are attached to the main working surface (floor/wall/ceiling) must (!) be mounted with sealing tape. There's no other way to do this.

First you need to fix the guides on the ceiling and floor (UW). They should be mounted with dowels and self-tapping screws: firstly, every 0.5 m, secondly, along the edges, where the support posts (CW) will be fixed. But the racks are not only mounted at the edges of the UW rails. They should also be erected in those places where, for example, there will be a window, passage or some other opening that corresponds to the daring design concept.

It will be more convenient for you to install the profiles first at the bottom, then thread them into the upper guide and mount. Just mount it exclusively vertically, otherwise the wall will be crooked, and this is not part of our plans. The front side of the profile should be facing inside the opening. The racks are attached to the guides using “fleas” - self-tapping screws, which we mentioned in the list of necessary tools.

In addition to these screws with a strange name, we also mentioned the AU profile, an alternative to which can be wooden beams. So, it's time for AU. With the help of this profile (or beams) we strengthen our opening around the perimeter.

Now we need to mount the CW support profiles. The first one must be mounted at a distance of 550 mm from the main wall. The rest - in increments of 600 mm. In this case, verticality must be checked. To mark the upper boundary of a passage or the upper and lower boundary of a window opening, we use the UW profiles that are already familiar to us. In this case, the profile piece must be at least 30 cm longer than the width of the opening.

The profiles have side bends. So, on the front side of these folds you need to put marks 15 cm from each edge. And between these marks the distance should be equal to the width of our opening.

The side parts of the profiles must be cut strictly at 45°. You should start from the edge - to the mark - and to the very base. After the cuts are made, the edges of this profile need to be bent to create something like a U-shape.

We put the resulting U-shaped profile on the side posts of our opening. Then, accordingly, we adjust its height position. After the profile is set in its position, it must be secured with self-tapping screws. On the horizontal part of our profile we have formed so-called “ears”, which also need to be fixed. This is how we create the perimeter of the door/window opening.

If you succeeded, then congratulations! This completes the installation of the frame. Now it’s time to move on to the installation of direct sheathing, that is, to the installation of plasterboard sheets.

Installation of gypsum boards on an installed frame

The size of plasterboard sheets that can be found in hardware stores is standard:

• 1.2×2 m;
• 1.2×2.5 m;
• 1.2x3 m.

In residential buildings, ceilings are usually slightly higher than 2 or 2.5 m. According to the building standard, the height of ceilings in apartments is at least 2.75 m. Accordingly, one whole sheet may not be enough for us. Therefore, you may have to add an additional strip. This could be some scrap or even several scraps. You will definitely have these as you work.

Initially, we should mount the sheet, which will be located close to the edge (that is, to the main wall). It is necessary to separate the chamfer from it, so along the entire length it is necessary to cut a strip ±4 cm wide.

For cutting plasterboard, a regular knife with replaceable blades, like the one shown in the photo below, is suitable:

At the same time, cutting gypsum boards in a canopy is prohibited! It must be placed on a flat and hard surface, and then marked with a pencil or marker along the lines along which the cut will be made. We cut through the top layer with a knife, and then we should move the sheet of drywall to the edge of our support strictly along the cut line, and then easily and carefully break off the excess.

Now we need to make a chamfer on the cut edge of the sheet. Now you may be wondering, “why make a bevel if we just cut it?” - the fact is that a special oblique chamfer has to be made in order to provide a technological (delatation) gap. What kind of gap this is and what its purpose is, we will not consider in detail now. We will limit ourselves to noting the following: this gap will help remove excess load from the plasterboard sheet after installation and application of all finishing materials (primer/putty/wallpaper/paint).

This is where we need a gypsum board plane. By the way, such a chamfer should be made not only along the length of the sheet adjacent to the wall, but also on that strip from a piece of plasterboard, due to which the height will be achieved (we remember that the height of one sheet may not be enough if the ceiling in the room is higher ). However, this strip for increasing the height can be mounted both at the top and at the bottom - whichever is more convenient for you.

To fix the gypsum board to the frame, we use self-tapping screws (3.5×35 mm). Initially, you should secure the sheet from the edges, and then along the middle line. Self-tapping screws should be placed in increments of ±15 cm. But (!) no more than 25 cm. The fastener caps should not be deeply “recessed” into the plasterboard sheet, but they should not stick out either.

By the way, gypsum boards should be fixed at a height of about 10 mm from the floor surface. This distance is called the delatation gap. We have already mentioned this. So, remember: the drywall should not fit closely to either the wall or the floor. And yes, there should also be a small distance between the sheets. Subsequently it will be puttied, but more on that later.

After you install the first sheet, you should measure the distance from the edge of this sheet to the ceiling (well, or the floor, because you can start attaching the sheet both from the floor and from the ceiling). According to the measurements, cut out the missing fragment, make a chamfer on it using a plane - and install it in place. We will mount those sheets that are not adjacent to the wall without a chamfer, so the plane can be put aside for now.

That is, in places where the sheets are adjacent to the walls/floor/ceiling and between these adjacent sheets this improvised chamfer must be present, and as for the remaining sheets, there should only be a technological (delatation) gap between them, but without a chamfer . We will open up these joints when we start puttingty/primer. But now it’s better not to occupy your bright head with this.

Drywall sheets must be installed exclusively in a checkerboard pattern. In other words: if you mounted the first sheet from the floor, and then took the missing piece to the ceiling, then the next one - on the contrary - mount it from the ceiling and take the missing piece of gypsum board to the floor. This is how you sheathe the frame on one side. Now let's talk about how to lay the wire to install a socket/switch or conduct other important communications.

Laying communications

Communications should be laid after the sheathing of the wall frame on one side is completed. Essentially, there is nothing super complicated here. But if you have not dealt with electricity before, it is better to resort to the services of an electrician.

But preparing a frame for laying wires is definitely within your power. To do this, you need to drill holes in the rack profiles with a diameter of approximately 3.5 cm. To avoid damage to the wires, you should bend the edges of this hole to one side. And don't forget to use corrugated pipe. This is your own safety.

Installation of sound insulation

Mineral wool (mineral wool) is usually used as a soundproofing material. Without soundproofing, the wall will be hollow inside, so any sound from the next room will reach the next one without encountering any barriers. When installing the wall, you should also use filler.

For these purposes, we will use rolled cotton wool. The one that is sold in bales can also, of course, be suitable, but it will not be very convenient to work with. If the width of the roll is 1.2 m, then it must be cut in half lengthwise. With a width of 0.6 m, there is no need to cut lengthwise.

The material should be placed tightly between the rack profiles. At the same time, we have absolutely no need for gaps. There is no need to fix it with glue or anything else. If the action takes place where there is a risk of moisture getting inside the wall (which is extremely undesirable), then you can install horizontal lintels made of wood. In addition, if there is a risk of moisture ingress, the internal space of the partition/wall must be ventilated.

Completion of installation work/how to finish plasterboard walls

We cover the other side of the wall in the same way as the first, and then the ends should be made. The joints of the sheets during finishing must be glued using serpyanka. Then, using starting putty, these depressions are completely leveled and compared with the general plane. The finishing putty helps to eliminate the places where the screws were screwed in. The corners of a door/window opening or other structurally expressed elements (say, the corners of niches or decorative projections) should be additionally reinforced with a metal corner.

Do I need to prime the walls before wallpapering? Purely technically, the drywall is perfectly flat, so you can safely cover it with wallpaper. But, nevertheless, there is one curious point: when the need arises to remove this wallpaper in order to paste new ones (in about 10–15 years), it will be impossible to tear off this wallpaper from the drywall without damaging the drywall itself. Regardless of what wallpaper glue you used. They will simply stick tightly. To avoid this, the surface of the wall should still be primed. The primer will not prevent the wallpaper from sticking to the wall, but during the next renovation it will be much easier to tear it off - this way you will save the wall. By the way, before painting the walls (say, with water-based paint), priming the surface will also not be superfluous.

Primer/putty of plasterboard walls is a fairly broad topic worthy of detailed discussion in a separate article. But in order for the material presented to be as comprehensive and useful for you as possible, here we will tell you in general terms what gypsum board putty/primer is. Let's look at this process step by step:

1. It is necessary to prepare the wall for applying primer. This means that using the same knife with replaceable blades at an angle of about 45°, it is necessary to cut the joints. At the same time, do not be afraid to remove excess - this will not spoil the wall, but will only facilitate the correct application of finishing materials.
2. Let's move on to priming work. The wall may need to be primed several times. First, you should treat the joints, as well as the places where the screws are screwed in and the places where the plasterboard is adjacent to the main walls/floor/ceiling. At the same time, we have the right not to treat its “native” seams with a primer. This is not at all necessary.
3. If there are places where the gypsum board is damaged for some reason, that is, for example, scratched, this place, of course, must be carefully primed.

To visually familiarize yourself with the gypsum board priming process, watch the video below:

As was said in the video, it is not necessary to prime all the drywall. And it is true. But as for putty, the question remains open. But don't worry. Now we will explain it properly. So, we need:

• wide and narrow spatulas;
• knife with replaceable blades;
• drill mixer;
• bucket. It is better if the bucket is not plastic, but metal. This is purely for reliability, because a plastic one may not withstand the blows of a merciless mixer, and then the putty mixture will end up on the floor and not on the wall, where it belongs.

• We glue sickle tape to all the “original” seams and along the perimeter (excluding the floor). At the same time, there is no need to glue the tape to the seams that we cut with a knife;
• prepare the putty mixture according to the instructions on the package;
• Using a wide spatula, we begin to apply the mixture to the seams and places where the screws are screwed in. We need a narrow spatula to remove the mixture from the container. At the same time, you should not put too much pressure on the sickle tape, otherwise you may damage it;
• We leave our wall for about a day. At a temperature of 18–20°C, the first layer will dry out during this time;
• We proceed to applying the second layer according to the same principle. If you got to work not the next day, but, say, a week later, then it is better to prime the surface again, since during this time 100% of dust has gotten onto the wall, which will 100% prevent good adhesion (adhesion of the applied mixture with work surface);
• If you intend to glue wallpaper to the wall, then, nevertheless, it is worth priming and puttying the entire surface. We mentioned above that wallpaper will stick too well to unputtyed plasterboard. So good that during the next renovation it will be simply impossible to remove them without damaging the sheets of drywall.

To learn how to putty drywall, watch the video below:

We won’t talk about how to paint walls and how to glue wallpaper in this article - it already turned out to be quite voluminous and, I hope, informative. In addition, the site contains a separate article about water-based paint. And don’t be confused by the fact that it’s about ceilings. In fact, painting a gypsum board ceiling is not fundamentally different from painting walls made of the same material. Except, of course, that painting work is carried out in different planes. The proposed article examines in detail not only the painting process, but also provides arguments in favor of the “water-based emulsion” and gives practical recommendations on the choice of tools (in particular, the main painting tool - a roller).

Thank you very much for your attention, dear reader. I hope that the information presented was really useful to you, and you will want to visit our cozy repair and construction portal again. Until we meet again, good luck in all your endeavors!

P.S. Here is a video that shows the process of constructing a plasterboard partition: